Is ERP Really Worth It for Your Manufacturing Business?

You know your existing systems work. They may be complicated and sometimes a little behind but you eventually get what you need out of them. Sometimes though, your array of legacy systems, spreadsheets, and paper-based files do have drawbacks. Errors get through production. You don’t always know where inventory is, and how much you might need. But it’s the way you’re used to working so why change ?

You’re not so sure that overhauling your systems and implementing a cloud-based ERP would really do the trick. Plus, there’s the potential disruption to your business. It can’t really be as smooth and effective as you’ve heard. And what if, after transforming your entire business with ERP, you find that the pain of the upheaval doesn’t justify the benefits.

Is manufacturing ERP really worth it?

Here are four ways cloud manufacturing ERP delivers value (and be sure to keep reading because there are more than four ways to get value)

1. Manufacturing ERP makes your business more agile.

Modern manufacturing is all about mergers, acquisitions, and right-shoring decisions. Whether you’re planning on growing, or considering some degree of corporate restructuring, you need to be on a business management system that can support it. If you can’t quickly add a new facility to take advantage of market opportunities, your software is an albatross.

But agility is about more than just supporting growth. You also need to make sure you have robust enough reporting and analytics to help you manage change. And you should position your company to take advantage of innovations such as machine learning, robotic intelligence, and wearables—something most legacy systems can’t do.

2. Manufacturing ERP increases your competitiveness.

You wouldn’t be in business if you couldn’t claim some kind of competitive advantage. A manufacturing ERP system can help you protect or even extend that advantage.

Competing on quality? Only a modern ERP system will have built-in quality assurance features. Competing on price? ERP can help you optimize inventory, reduce waste, and lower your cost of delivery.

3. Manufacturing ERP simplifies and streamlines your business.

Why make manufacturing even more complex than it already is? You’re probably sourcing supplies from vendors around the world. You may be running multiple plants in different time zones—or even outsourcing some of your manufacturing operations. But that doesn’t mean your business data should be equally far-flung.

Storing data in multiple siloes hampers your decision-making. Manufacturing ERP is designed to give you one coherent view of your entire business, so that you can make decisions based on the current reality.

4. Manufacturing ERP drives operational efficiency.

Where do your most costly errors occur? Is it in accounting, inventory management, or on the shop floor? Stop and think about the causes of these errors. You’ll probably find that paper-based processes and manual data entry are at least a contributing factor.

Implementing manufacturing ERP can help you do more than just automate error-prone processes. It can also free up your best people from doing mundane tasks, enabling them to add more value to your business.

Now, here’s the rub: a manufacturing ERP system will only be useful if your employees actually use it.

They’ll be much more likely to use it if they can access it through any browser. And nowadays, employees expect to be able to get their jobs done even when they’re on a commuter train, at home with the flu, or waiting in line for movie tickets on Friday night. That’s why you should consider implementing a cloud manufacturing ERP system as the hub of your manufacturing business.